Gery Chico | |
|---|---|
 Chico in 2018 | |
| Chair of theIllinois State Board of Education | |
| In office June 7, 2011 – January 12, 2015 | |
| Governor | Pat Quinn |
| Preceded by | Jesse Ruiz |
| Succeeded by | James Meeks |
| President of theChicago Park District Board of Commissioners | |
| In office October 2007 – March 2010 | |
| Appointed by | Richard Daley |
| Succeeded by | Bryan Traubert |
| President of the Chicago Board of EducationA | |
| In office 1995–2001 | |
| Preceded by | D. Sharon Grant[1] |
| Succeeded by | Michael Scott Sr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1956-08-24)August 24, 1956 (age 69) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois, Chicago (BA) Loyola University Chicago (JD) |
Gery J. Chico (/ˈɡɛriˈtʃiːkoʊ/GHERR-eeCHEE-koh; born August 24, 1956) is an American politician, lawyer, public official and former Democratic primary candidate to become the U.S. Senator fromIllinois.
Chico served as the Chief of Staff to MayorRichard M. Daley from 1992 to 1995, and board president of theChicago Public Schools from 1995 to 2001. He was named Outstanding School Board President by the Illinois State Board of Education in 1997. From 2007 to 2010, he was board president of theChicago Park District, and in 2010 he was board president of theCity Colleges of Chicago. On June 7, 2011, Chico was named Chairman of theIllinois State Board of Education by Illinois GovernorPat Quinn.
Chico ran forMayor of Chicago in the2011 election, but was defeated byRahm Emanuel. In late 2018, Chico declared a second bid for mayor in the2019 election. After losing in the first round, he endorsedLori Lightfoot.[2][3]
Gery Chico was born on August 24, 1956,[4] to aMexican-American father, Jesse, and aGreek-Lithuanian mother, Jacqueline (née Kopulos). With his two younger brothers, he grew up in Chicago'sMcKinley Park neighborhood.[5] His mother also worked as a secretary at theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry.[6] Chico attended a now-closed parochial school, Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Elementary School at 35th and Hermitage,[7] where he headed the altar boys and patrol boys, and also played baseball for two years. A hip injury kept him in a wheelchair during his freshman year atThomas Kelly High School.[5]
Chico pursued apre-medical degree at theUniversity of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, but after his sophomore year he transferred to theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago.[8] A political science major, he volunteered in the 11thWard. He later secured anexternship in the city's Department of Planning during his senior year,[5] and he worked there from 1977 to 1980. He received his bachelor's degree in 1978. From 1980 to 1987, he worked for the City Council Finance Committee.[9] Finance Committee chair AldermanEdward M. Burke promoted Chico to research manager, and he became senior research assistant for the Department of Planning and Economic Development.[10] At that time, he took night classes at theLoyola University Chicago School of Law.[5] He earned hisJ.D. degree in 1985 and became a member of the Loyola Law Review.[9]
Chico has been married twice; his first wife was Jeryl Minow, with whom he had three daughters. He is currently married to Sunny Penedo Chico, who has a son and daughter from a previous marriage.[5][6] A formerU.S. Department of Education employee, Sunny runs a consulting firm that focuses on, among others, tutoring services and curriculum advice.[11]
Chico began working as an associate of the Chicago-based law firmSidley Austin in 1987, and served as General Counsel to the Chicago Development Council, a real estate development association.[9] He left the firm in 1991 to become the Deputy Chief of Staff for MayorRichard M. Daley,[5] but he later returned as partner in 1995 and 1996, leading the firm's practice related to state and local government.
In 1996, Chico left Sidley & Austin to become a senior partner ofAltheimer & Gray.[9] Oscar D’Angelo, a friend of Daley and a former Altheimer partner, suggested to the firm’s managing partner that the firm hire Chico. In 2000, just four years later, at age 44, Chico became chairman of Altheimer. In 2002, the firm gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to GovernorRod Blagojevich and Attorney GeneralLisa Madigan's campaigns. In 2003, while Chico was chairman and simultaneously running for the US Senate, Altheimer became insolvent and dissolved.[12][13] Some partners blamed the bankruptcy on poor management by Chico, while an attorney who sat on two financial committees blamed an economic downturn.[5]
Chico also served as Special Counsel to Arnstein & Lehr in 2003 and 2004.[9] In 2004, Chico, along with Planning Department colleague Marcus Nunes, formed the general practice law firm Chico & Nunes,[5] which lobbies for clients seeking government business.[11][14]
In 1991, Chico was a Deputy Chief of Staff for MayorRichard M. Daley.[9] He coordinated efforts to drain freight tunnels that were flooded with water from theChicago River.[15] Chico was later promoted to Chief of Staff, a position he held from 1992 to 1995.[9] As part of his duties, he oversaw the completion of the International Terminal ofO'Hare International Airport, preparations for the1994 FIFA World Cup, and the construction of new schools.[16] Along with Budget DirectorPaul Vallas, Chico helped add 1,000 officers to the police force and improved neighborhoods throughout the city through a program called Neighborhoods Alive.[5]
In 1995, the Illinois state legislature passed the Chicago School Reform Act, which gave the Mayor of Chicago unprecedented new control overChicago Public Schools.[citation needed] Daley asked Chico to become the CEO, but Chico declined because he was resuming his law career. Chico instead recommended that Daley appoint colleaguePaul Vallas as CEO, and Chico was named chairman of the School Reform Board of Trustees, which was renamed the "President of the Chicago Board of Education" in 1999 (the title which the board had originally held before 1995).[17][18][19][20] In 1997 Chico was named Outstanding School Board President by the Illinois State Board of Education for his reforms in education and fiscal policies.[citation needed]
Chico was responsible for efforts to preserve and restore hundreds of murals in the public schools, which had been commissioned by PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt during theProgressive andNew Deal eras. They had since been hidden under layers of dirt and paint.[21] Under his administration, CPS appointed an Arts Education Task Force and a Bureau of Cultural Arts.[22]
Chico resigned as President of the Chicago Board of Education in 2001.[18][23] His departure was considered sudden, and came after a number of failingstandardized testing scores eliminated the improvements to test scores that had been experienced in the previous two years. Soon after his departure, Paul Vallas also announced his resignation.[24] Chico was succeeded in this office by Michael W. Scott.[25]
In 2004, Chico ran for the Democratic nomination to succeed retiring Republican U.S. SenatorPeter Fitzgerald. He was the first Democrat to declare his candidacy, doing so on July 30, 2002, during a rally with Hispanic leaders. His Senate committee preferences included education, transportation, and judiciary. He also criticized theBipartisan Campaign Reform Act and theNo Child Left Behind Act, but supportedgay marriage,[6]abortion rights,stem cell research, thedeath penalty,[26] anduniversal healthcare.[27] Chico was the only candidate who supported gay marriage out of all seven Democrats and eight Republicans.[28] Then-State SenatorBarack Obama ultimately won the nomination over six other candidates including Chico.[29]
In October 2007, Mayor Daley appointed Chico as president of theChicago Park District Board of Commissioners.[30] Chico supported the construction of a new soccer field inLincoln Park despite opposition from local residents.[31] In 2010, he stepped down.[32]
In March 2010, Mayor Daley nominated Chico as chairman of the board of trustees of theCity Colleges of Chicago and the board elected Chico chairman.[33][34] Along with ChancellorCheryl Hyman, Chico reformed the City Colleges budget by laying off 225 employees, removing unfilled jobs, and reducing executive spending to increase spending on technology and training for students. Furthermore, Chico and Hyman reduced taxation on property for two straight years, and cancelled nursing programs. He resigned 8 months later to run for Mayor of Chicago.[35]
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On September 27, 2010, Chico announced that he would run for mayor of Chicago in 2011.[36] He was one of six candidates on the ballot.
Rahm Emanuel was considered to be the leading candidate before the election. Chico was considered "the rival with the best chance of forcing him into a runoff".[37]
Chico positioned himself as a business candidate with a Latino identity.[38] He sought to portray himself as a candidate who understood the city better than frontrunner Rahm Emanuel.[38] He touted his experience, particularly his tenure as president of the school board.[38]
Chico advertised his Latino background, his identity as the son of an immigrant father, his education in the Chicago Public Schools system.[38] He also contrasted hisSouth Side upbringing to Emanuel's upbringing in the suburbanNorth Shore.[38]
In seeking the Hispanic vote, he proved to have a lead over the race's other Hispanic candidate,Miguel del Valle.[38] Chico received significant support from the city's Hispanic community, even receiving endorsements from leading members such as congressmanLuis Gutierrez.[38]
Chico raised nearly $4.4 million in campaign funds.[38] This was the second-greatest amount any candidate raised, however it was still only less than one-third of the $15 million in campaign funds that Emanuel was able to procure.[38] Chico received most of his money from personal and corporate donations. However, he also had the greatest union support financial contribution to his campaign committee of any candidate, receiving $188,000 from municipal unions, including the Chicago Firefighters Union and theFraternal Order of Police.[38]
Chico was backed by many of the city's establishment Democrats, such as aldermanEdward M. Burke.[38]
In regards to schools, Chico wanted to negotiate with theChicago Teachers Union for both a lengthened school day and school year.[38] He opposed an elected school board.[38] He touted his experience leading the school board as qualifications which made him the best fit candidate to address problems with the Chicago Public Schools.[38]
Chico pledged to hire 2,000 police officers but did not offer specifics on how he would raise the funds.[39] He opposed making the school board an elected body, and he favored extending the school day and school year.[40] Chico picked up endorsements from unions that represented, among others, police officers, firefighters, laborers, painters, operating engineers, iron workers, roofers, and sheet metal workers.[41]
Chico attacked Rahm Emanuel's proposal to lower thesales tax and increase theservice tax.[38] He derided Emanuel's proposed service tax increase the "Rahm tax", and discounted Emanuel's claim that this increase would be offset the by his proposed sales tax decrease.[38] He sought to garner additional media attention with his "Rahm tax" attacks, but to little avail.[38]
In the results of the election on February 22, Emanuel's 55% support dwarfed Chico's 24% support. Chico placed second.[42] Chico won in 10 of Chicago's 50wards, while Emanuel won 40.[43] The campaign's communications director claimed that controversy over Emanuel's eligibility to run for mayor may have diverted the focus of the press away from the other candidates.[44] After the election, Chico remained involved in the runoff elections for other city offices, endorsing a candidate for 25th Ward alderman.[45]
From June 2011 through January 2015, Chico served as chair of theIllinois State Board of Education.[46]
Chico was nominated by GovernorPat Quinn to be chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education in June 2011.[47] His confirmation was delayed as a result of questions regarding his ties to the Save-A-Life Foundation, a failed charity that was undergoing investigation by Illinois Attorney GeneralLisa Madigan’s office.[48][49][50]
Chico ran for mayor again in the2019 Chicago mayoral election.
During his candidacy, Chico was perceived to be seeking strong support from Hispanic voters.[51] In the end, he received the second-highest support among Hispanic voters of any candidate in the first round, placing behindSusana Mendoza.[52] However, Hispanic voter turnout was low in the election.[52]
Chico was one of four mayoral candidates (alongsideBill Daley, Susana Mendoza, andToni Preckwinkle) that had political ties to Alderman Edward M. Burke, whose corruption scandal upended the race for mayor.[53][54][55] Chico was particularly tied to Burke, having received his endorsement in the mayoral election.[53] Chico made efforts to distance himself from Burke.[56]
Chico touted his experience.[57] He staked much of his candidacy upon his record at Chicago Public Schools and Chicago City Colleges.[58]
Chico placed eighth of fourteen candidates, with 6.20% of the vote.[59][60]
After failing to advance to the runoff, Chico endorsedLori Lightfoot.[2][3]
In mid-2019, Chico became the board chairman of Local Initiatives Support Corporation Chicago, a nonprofit seeking to boost underserved neighborhoods through grants, loans, and by providing support to community organizations.[61][62]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Barack Obama | 655,923 | 52.8% | |
| Democratic | Daniel W. Hynes | 294,717 | 23.7% | |
| Democratic | M. Blair Hull | 134,453 | 10.8% | |
| Democratic | Maria Pappas | 74,987 | 6.0% | |
| Democratic | Gery Chico | 53,433 | 4.3% | |
| Democratic | Nancy Skinner | 16,098 | 1.3% | |
| Democratic | Joyce Washington | 13,375 | 1.1% | |
| Democratic | Estella Johnson-Hunt (write-in) | 10 | 0.0% | |
| Total votes | 1,242,996 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Rahm Emanuel | 326,331 | 55.27 | |
| Nonpartisan | Gery J. Chico | 141,228 | 23.92 | |
| Nonpartisan | Miguel del Valle | 54,689 | 9.26 | |
| Nonpartisan | Carol Moseley Braun | 53,062 | 8.99 | |
| Nonpartisan | Patricia Van Pelt Watkins | 9,704 | 1.64 | |
| Nonpartisan | William Walls, III | 5,343 | 0.90 | |
| Write-in | Tommy Hanson | 9 | 0.00 | |
| Write-in | John C. Hawkins | 8 | 0.00 | |
| Write-in | “Fredrick” “Frederick” “Fred” “F.” K. White | 6 | 0.00 | |
| Write-in | Alfredo Castillo | 4 | 0.00 | |
| Write-in | John Hu | 4 | 0.00 | |
| Write-in | Alex George (AG) | 3 | 0.00 | |
| Turnout | 590,391 | 41.99 | ||
| 2019 Chicago mayoral election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | General Election[65] | Runoff Election[66] | ||
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |
| Lori Lightfoot | 97,667 | 17.54 | 386,039 | 73.70 |
| Toni Preckwinkle | 89,343 | 16.04 | 137,765 | 26.30 |
| William Daley | 82,294 | 14.78 | ||
| Willie Wilson | 59,072 | 10.61 | ||
| Susana Mendoza | 50,373 | 9.05 | ||
| Amara Enyia | 44,589 | 8.00 | ||
| Jerry Joyce | 40,099 | 7.20 | ||
| Gery Chico | 34,521 | 6.20 | ||
| Paul Vallas | 30,236 | 5.43 | ||
| Garry McCarthy | 14,784 | 2.66 | ||
| La Shawn K. Ford | 5,606 | 1.01 | ||
| Robert "Bob" Fioretti | 4,302 | 0.77 | ||
| John Kolzar | 2,349 | 0.42 | ||
| Neal Sales-Griffin | 1,523 | 0.27 | ||
| Write-ins | 86 | 0.02 | ||
| Total | 556,844 | 100 | 523,804 | 100 |